


Changed by Leaves

by Nakira Taisho (nakirataisho)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2066955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakirataisho/pseuds/Nakira%20Taisho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yami is the new kid in town, and a suddenly popular kid. Like anyone, he has his secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Changed by Leaves

Twelve years ago, a small nomadic family came to Kirigakure and settled at the edge of the town. They were an odd sort, with a pair of twin sons and a child on the way. The ninja in the village ignored them, though the Mizukage found them intriguing. Less than a year after their arrival, they disappeared with barely a trace. The only one that remained was a three month old infant girl by name of Yaya.

When the infant was found, she was covered in blood, her eyes green and feline. She was left where she was and the situation never investigated. Later that day, her crying drew a large cat to the scene. The feline took her from the bloody scene and raised her.

For many years, Yaya lived with her feline family, barely communicating with those in the nearby village. She did, however, watch them. She learned from hidden spots their ninjutsu and taijutsu. Eventually, she learned their language.

When she discovered that the people feared her, she couldn't figure out why. Until the Mizukage found her in the woods and explained to her what the people that had found her as an infant had seen. Their fears weren't that far from the truth, as she was born a bakeneko. The Mizukage explained to her that her mother had died giving birth to her and three months later her father had died when her uncontrolled powers lashed out at him. Her two elder brothers were unaccounted for.

Her high chakra levels and the circumstances around her parents' deaths as well as a birthmark on her arm resembling a cat's face gave many people the idea that Yaya was actually a Jinchuuriki, and when she was nine years old, this brought the Akatsuki looking for her. Terrified and unable to fight them off, she fled the country with what little she had.

She found herself in the home of the Nekomata Sage by accident, but the old feline took pity on her, using her gifts to seal the girl's volatile abilities and then teaching her the ways of the sennin. She was warned that the Akatsuki would come after her again, so when she finished her training at the age of eleven, she disguised herself as a boy and went to the landlocked Konoha.

. . .

Four days since I ran out of food…and no sign of anything I could hunt. I at least still had water and enough knowledge of herbs and plants to keep myself alive. I was beginning to regret not taking the sage's offer to take me to Konoha instantly.

I stumbled over a root and barely caught my balance on the tree it was attached to. I had to find food, and soon. But there wasn't even the sound of a river, much less the small animals I was used to hunting. I sat down and listened for any sound of life in the forest. Not even a bird chirping.

I opened my flask of water and tipped it over my mouth, a single drop of water fell onto my tongue. I was too tired and hungry to be able to focus on using my ability over water to draw any of the moisture in the air out to get a drink. It was beginning to look like I would die in these woods. Until I heard movement nearby.

I flexed my fingers and shifted my body into a crouch. I moved carefully and silently to the source of the noise, and suppressed a disappointed sigh when I saw that it was only a woman and not something I could kill and eat. I shifted my weight, looking at the plants around me. I recognized a Wood Sorrel plant and moved to pick it. It would at least help.

The movement jostled a bush and I froze at the sound it made. The nearby woman turned to investigate the noise, a small weapon appearing in her hand. I held my breath and hunkered down, trying to make myself as small as possible. My black clothes and hair helped me blend in, but only in the shadows.

"What are you doing out here, Kid?" she asked, spotting me as a tendril of sunlight through the overhead foliage shone on me and caused my black attire to stand out against the green forest floor. I looked at her and finished picking my prize before putting the plant between my teeth and climbing up the nearest tree.

She jumped up after me and I went to a higher branch to try and eat the flower. She caught up with me as I started chewing the flower in my mouth. I finished eating it and dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch before continuing towards Konoha.

"Wait a second, Kid," the woman said as she joined and fell into step with me. "What are you doing out here?"

I ignored her, pretending that I couldn't understand or speak to her. Instead, I assumed a hunting crouch and checked the ground for any signs of hiding wildlife. I could feel her eyes watching me, but when I saw a set of rabbit tracks it stopped bothering me.

"Do you even understand a word I'm saying?" she asked. I rolled my eyes and started looking for the nest.

It wasn't but a moment before a lifetime of feral instinct kicked in and I hunted down the rabbit. I found it in a small burrow, and when I disturbed the ground near the burrow's entrance, three rabbits fled. I caught all three quickly and killed them with a single hit.

Used to eating raw and not caring at this point, I bit into one of my kills and started eating. I glanced up to see that the woman had followed and was watching in sheer horror as I ate. I finished eating and out of habit started licking the blood from my fingers, cleaning myself up.

Finally, I looked again at the woman, who was beginning to look a little sick. I stood and sighed contentedly. It felt good to eat again. I looked her over as I gathered my thoughts.

She was tall, probably in her late twenties, with long blond hair hanging over her shoulder in a braid. Her clothing was simple, a pair of shorts (if they could be called that) and a top that only covered her ample breasts, a cuff on her right wrist clearly contained a small scroll, while on her left she wore a fingerless glove that reached her elbow. On her feet she wore only bandages, and a standard shuriken case was on her left leg under the hem of her shorts. Her blue eyes were piercing. I brushed a loose black hair back and met her eyes.

"I'm on my way to Konoha," I said simply, scanning her for a hitai-ate. If I could consider her an ally, given her weaponry, she would have to have the Konoha Leaf on her person somewhere intact. I found it hidden in her hair like a headband.

"So you do speak," she said after a long beat. "And I was on my way back to Konoha. Where are you from?"

"I'd rather not say," was my answer. She smiled a little.

"I can understand that. Well, why don't you come along?" she asked lightly. "I need to meet up with my team but he's not far."

I paused a moment before nodding. If I was to get a start in Konoha and stay hidden, I had to get along with people, despite the lack of human contact I had growing up.

"By the way, do you…often eat raw?"

"When I have to," I answered, walking with her.

"My name is Nai, by the way," she said suddenly as we walked.

"Yami."

"Do you have a last name?"

"It's Yoru," I answered promptly. It wasn't long before a small campsite came into view. I frowned a little. It was much too obvious, in a clearing with a fire going and two tents.

"Well, it's another day's walk to Konoha, so you're welcome to stay with us."

"I'd rather sleep in a tree…," I muttered, glancing around for somewhere less open or obvious.

"Why?"

"This is a game trail…," I noted, spotting large clawed paw prints. I walked over to them and looked them over. "There's a large cat that likely uses this as its hunting territory. The prints cross your campsite. You'd be dead by morning if you stayed here."

"I didn't even notice those tracks," she whispered. "Did you grow up in the wild…?"

"I was raised by predator felines, yes."

A branch broke and I turned on my heels, raising my hands to prepare for an attack. A man came into the clearing, a generic looking Jounin with spiked silver hair and his hitai-ate covering one eye, a mask covering his mouth, nose, and chin. Nai walked over to him and I assumed that he was her teammate. The wind blew from behind him and the odor of a dog hit my nose, causing me to grimace.

"Who's the kid?" he asked immediately.

"This is Yami," she answered promptly. "Kakashi, we might want to move camp…"

"Why?"

"It's a game trail," I snapped. "For a guy that smells like a dog, you're very unobservant."

"Smells like a dog…?"

"Yes. You're upwind from me and it's disgusting. Thank you for the offer, Nai-san, but I'll be continuing on my own," I growled, turning again and heading out. They didn't follow me, which I was grateful for.

I arrived at a road at nightfall and found a tree to sleep in.

. . .

I woke with the sun the next morning. Nai and her companion were already on the road and heading towards the village. I dropped out of the tree when they were well out of sight and followed their trail. When I arrived at the village, a pair of guards stopped me from entering.

"I'm unarmed," I sighed, lifting my hands. "And I don't have any form of ID. I just need to a place to stay."

They started to say something when Nai appeared behind them.

"Don't worry, guys. I'll take him to see the Hokage," she said lightly, prompting them to stand down.

"Namikaze-sama…," one of them sighed, but they let me pass.

"Lady?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"My late brother was the Fourth Hokage," she said with a shrug. I frowned a little, but followed her to the Hokage's office when she started walking.

. . .

My conversation with the Hokage was over very quickly and Nai escorted me to an apartment complex and then up to an apartment.

"Here you go," she said when we stopped at a door. She handed me a key. "There's a new term starting at the academy. They'll give you a test at the end of the term…"

"I don't need a test," I sighed, unlocking the door. "Or school."

"Well, the Hokage wants you to become a ninja, for whatever reason, so we have to go through the proper channels. If you need anything, you just have to call."

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Because it's in my nature," she answered with a light shrug. I frowned a little, but said nothing else as she left. I sighed and went inside the apartment.

It was small, with a small kitchen separated out by a half-wall. A bed was behind a screen, and there was a small bathroom.

"Too much stuff…," I muttered. There wasn't much, but it was too much for me. I started stripping things down. I took down the screen and moved the mattress to the window and got on it, kneading at it with my fists and knees to soften it up. It didn't take much.

Everything else I deemed unnecessary was put on the walkway outside. A blond with spikey hair came out of the apartment next to mine. He was wearing a brightly coloured jumpsuit and a pair of goggles on his forehead.

"Okay then…You just move in and you're throwing stuff out?"

"There was too much junk in there…," I sighed.

"Right…," he looked through the open door. "You only left the bed…?"

"A bed is all I need," I said simply, started to go back inside.

"Hey…what's your name? Are you gonna start at the academy or…?"

"It's Yoru Yami. And yes, I'm starting at the academy," I answered flatly, tacking on the addition of 'not that I need it' under my breath. The Sage had deemed my Sennin training complete before she sent me off.

"Cool. I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too. So uh…I guess you're not here with your parents?"

"No. My parents died when I was a baby," I sighed.

"Same…," he sighed in return. "Hey…you wanna go grab some ramen?"

"Sure," I answered. He grinned and I grabbed my key. I went with him to the ramen stand.


End file.
